Author: The Bulrushes

The National Assembly Programming Committee (NAPC) has, during its urgent meeting convened on Monday evening, resolved to defer the consideration of the Section 89 Panel report. The three-member panel report released last week concluded that President Cyril Ramaphosa “may have” breached his oath of office and the constitution regarding allegations related to the theft of foreign currency from his Phala Phala farm. The matter, initially scheduled for today, (6 December 2022) will now be considered next week on Tuesday, (13 December 2022), at 14h00. ​ “The 13 December meeting will be fully physical, with no provision for virtual participation,” Parliament…

President Cyril Ramaphosa on Monday filed papers in the Constitutional Court requesting that it hear his challenge of the adverse three-member panel report that suggested he may have breached his oath of office and the constitution. Members of the panel – retired chief justice Sandile Ngcobo, retired high court judge Thokozile Masipa, and advocate Mahlape Sello – as well as the Speaker of Parliament and Vuyolwethu Zungula are the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth respondents respectively. Zungula is the president of the African Transformation Movement, the party that brought the matter to Parliament, resulting in the formation of the…

Empire Partner Foundation together with African Technopreneurs are partnering in harnessing and investing in the next generation of Extended Reality (XR) technology creators in Africa. XR refers to an umbrella term used for Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality, as well as all future realities such technology might bring. Empire Partner Foundation will this weekend collaborate with African Technopreneurs in hosting an AR/VR Africa hackathon, seeking to develop extended reality (XR) solutions to societal challenges. Developers, programmers, UI/UX designers, artists, animators, storytellers, professionals, and students interested in participating in the hackathon can register for the opportunity to…

Lloyd Koketso Tshotlang – who stole more than six million rand from Sanlam clients when he was a senior administrator for the reputable financial services firm – has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. The 34-year-old accused from Atteridgeville was sentenced in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this week for theft of R6.1 million. Tshotlang was convicted of 16 counts of theft on 18 September 2022, for stealing from his former employer, Sanlam. Recounting events that led to Tshotlang’s arrest and conviction, Lumka Mahanjana, Gauteng NPA spokesperson, said the accused was employed in July 2019 at Sanlam as…

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s squeaky clean image took a knock Wednesday night after the three-member panel said there were possibly at least four instances in which he may have breached the constitution regarding the 2020 robbery at his Phala Phala farm. The panel led by retired former chief justice, Sandile Ngcobo, said in its report that Ramaphosa “may have” breached the constitution in several areas including taking on other paid work while still the President and cast aspersions on the source of the foreign currency that was stolen from his farm. The panel comprising – Ngcobo, retired judge Thokozile Masipa and…

All eyes on Wednesday will be on the three-member panel led by retired Chief Justice Sandile Ngcobo whose report into the Phala Phal farm alleged shenanigans will decide President Cyril Ramaphosa’s fate. The panel has been assessing whether Ramaphosa has a case to answer on constitutional grounds for the alleged theft of foreign currency at his Phala Phala farm nearly three years ago. The panel, which was granted a 13-day extension to conclude its work by 30 November, will hand over the report to the Speaker of Parliament Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula at 10h00 Wednesday. President Ramaphosa, who was out of the country when the…

 Jailed Polish national Janusz Waluś – the man who killed anti-apartheid hero Chris Hani nearly three decades ago – has been stabbed just days before his release on parole. In a terse communique on Tuesday, the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) said it can “confirm an unfortunate stabbing incident involving inmate Janusz Waluś. “A detailed incident report is to be provided at a later stage, but what can be stated at this point is that inmate Walus is stable and DCS healthcare officials are providing the necessary care,” said Singabakho Nxumalo, the DCS spokesperson. “It is alleged that Walus was…

The Supreme Court of Appeal SA (SCA) on Monday upheld an earlier high court ruling that set aside the decision to grant former president Jacob Zuma medical parole. In the judgement written by Judge Tati Makgoka, the SCA stressed that the effect of its order that Zuma had unlawfully been granted medical parole was that “Mr. Zuma, in law, has not finished serving his sentence”. However, the SCA has placed the onus on prison authorities to decide whether the time Zuma spent on unlawful medical parole should count as part of his 15-month contempt sentence. RELATED: Is Jacob Zuma Going Back…

The Supreme Court of Appeal of South Africa (SCA) is expected to deliver judgment today, (Monday 21 November 2022), on whether former president Jacob Zuma’s medical parole was granted properly. Zuma and the Correctional Services Department approached the SCA in August, earlier this year, to overturn a high court judgment that declared his release on medical parole was unlawful. The former president was released from prison on medical parole in September 2021. He had been serving a 15-month prison sentence for contempt of court related to his refusal to return to the Zondo Commission to respond to allegations of corruption. Zuma…

Technology group Word Is Bond (WIB) has partnered with Stuttgart headquartered enterprise content management company ELO to enhance its public sector digitalisation project in Southern Africa. WIB says the ELO alliance enables it to fulfil its objectives to digitise the public sector in SA and other countries in the region, as it seeks to find solutions to assist in solving perennial challenges in healthcare, public transport and security. ELO, which is headquartered in Stuttgart Germany and has presence in 16 countries, established its digital office in Johannesburg last year, said it plans to extend its footprint In Africa through partnerships. Commenting…